Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.

The world-famous inventor, Thomas Edison, is known for a few quotes about failure and perseverance. This quote is perhaps not as well known as the others; however, it’s just as powerful. What’s so unique about it is that it says negative results are actually wanted. At first glance, this contradicts logic and common sense. But then the quote goes on with the fact that it’s through those negative results that he, Thomas Edison, was able to determine what works best having learned from what doesn’t. As an inventor, that knowledge would have been very valuable. Now, applying this to life, negative results occur all the time. It’s when things don’t work out as expected. So, let’s put on our “inventor hats”. What can we learn from life’s negative results? How can they be just as valuable as positive results? What can we do differently next time? Eventually, we will discover what works best for us.